If you rely on well water for your home and garden needs, you must exercise caution to keep your water source clean. Private well water is not tested or subjected to standards from the Environmental Protection Agency the way public water systems are regulated. Because well water is directly linked to groundwater, runoff that comes in contact with pesticides and herbicides poses a threat. You must carefully select the products you choose for your garden landscape and used them at a safe distance from your well to avoid contamination.

Mixed Reviews on Glyphosate

Glyphosate is the main, active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. Glyphosate is used around edible and nonedible plants to eliminate broad-leaf weeds. While effective, there are mixed reviews on the safety of glyphosate. Glyphosate is biodegradable and breaks down in sunlight. However, once it enters a water system through runoff or by permeating the soil into the groundwater, glyphosate does not break down as quickly. This poses a concern to people who rely on well water. A well contaminated with glyphosate is not a clean source of water. The EPA is investigating the possible damaging effects of glyphosate, as it has also been linked to many health problems.

Well Contamination

Glyphosate and other herbicide and pesticide garden and landscape products have the potential to contaminate your well through the groundwater and runoff. Well water is a collection of groundwater from natural springs that is pumped out into your well. If contaminated, it poses a threat to you, your family and pets. It also poses a threat to your garden and landscape plants. Well water that has been contaminated by herbicides may not look, smell or taste any different from clean, non-contaminated water. For this reason, it is important to have your well water tested once a year to make sure it is free from chemicals, nitrates and bacteria.

Keeping a Safe Distance

Never mix, spray or store pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides, including products like Roundup, which contains glyphosate, near your well. If you choose to use these products in your garden, keep a distance of 100 feet or more from your well head. Keeping the appropriate distance is essential to avoid direct contamination; however, it is important to note that these products still have the potential to contaminate your well through groundwater and runoff. For this reason the EPA recommends that well owners use granular activated carbon filters to remove glyphosate and other contaminates from their water. They also recommend never spraying glyphosate near sinkholes to avoid groundwater contamination, and ensure the ground around your well head slopes downward to avoid runoff contamination.

Alternatives to Glyphosate

There are safer treatments that control broad-leaf weeds organically and don’t run the risk of contaminating your well water. Essential oils of citronella, peppermint, clove and pine are an effective spot treatment for killing weed leaves and grasses above the soil. Vinegar is also effective for burning away weed foliage, although use it with caution to avoid burning and damaging other plants in the vicinity. Mulch your garden beds with corn gluten twice a year to keep new weeds from coming up. Corn gluten is a safe and natural product that does not contaminate well water. It is also safe to use if you have pets. When mowing your yard, raise your mower deck to 3 inches. Grass that is slightly taller blocks sunlight that encourages the growth of broad-leaf weeds.